A/N: First time trying this out. Image credit to so-bin. Feel free to leave a review, criticism welcome. Enjoy.
The blow came down hard and fast, aimed for the young man's chest. He'd seen this coming however, a move she'd used time and time again. He was prepared, he raised his shield and blocked the incoming attack. Eyeing an opening he thrust his sword forward, determined to strike her square in her chest, but she wasn't called the Goddess of Victory for nothing. With inhuman speed she easily parried the blow with her own shield, her weapon changing form into that of her trusted spear. She thrust forward, aiming for his sword arm, Jaune side-stepped the attack and slashed diagonally at her. She parried once again and moved to strike. Jaune raised his shield, but the attack was a feint. Pyrrha slid her leg behind his ankle and swiped, throwing him onto the ground as she pointed the tip of her blade against his throat.
"Not bad, but you still have a long way to go, Jaune." Said the smiling goddess, her armor glinting in the moonlight. They had been practicing on the rooftop at night for some time now, ever since he'd told her of his false entry into Beacon. Instead of shunning him or berating him like he thought she would, she accepted him and was willing to train him, to make him earn his spot there in a sense. Their practice proved fruitful, Jaune was now easily capable of holding his own against a Grimm and was even able to stand toe to toe with some of his fellow Hunters in training, though he was still leagues behind the woman before him.
"Yeah I know, thanks for the help though Pyrrha", the blonde said as he reached for her outstretched hand; taking hold of it Jaune noticed the subtle softness of her hand, something he didn't expect from a warrior such as herself. He traced her palm with his thumb, testing if the softness was universal throughout. Perhaps he held it for too long contemplating this, noticing the small shade of pink on his partner's face, Jaune quickly released her, his own face feeling a bit hot.
"Ahem, so Jaune ready to move onto Aura training?". Damn Aura practice, there isn't a thing I hate more in the world right now, the boy thought. Jaune was utterly pathetic when it came to Aura, in fact he hardly knew it existed before Pyrrha unlocked his own for him. Despite saying he had an immense amount of it, he himself was never able to manifest it into more than the passive shield present for all Aura users. I don't even have a Semblance for all we know.
"Hey Pyr, how about we just skip the Aura stuff for today? I'm not really feeling up to it."
"Jaune are you sure? I understand you can get frustrated at times but this is something we need to work on. If we want to find your Semblance and help give you another fighting edge this is something we need to overcome." The redhead beamed at him, but the smile did little to heighten his mood.
"Sorry Pyrrha, just not today ok? How about we head back and call it a day?"
She hesitated before slowly nodding her head. It wasn't the first time he'd been difficult, still Jaune couldn't help but feel even worse as he saw a hurt look creep upon his partner's face. And now I feel like crap, let me just get to bed and I'll make it up to her tomorrow.
As the duo entered the locker room to put away their equipment Jaune couldn't help but remember his first time in the room, the opening day of Beacon where he met both Pyrrha and the ever illustrious Weiss Schnee. The instant she offhandedly mentioned him as "a cute boy" he began to fall for her. Sadly his attempts at wooing her fell through, he never so much as managed to catch a passing glance from her. His compliments were met with harsh rebuttals and she'd berate him on his lackluster performance in class. In the end it was the new guy, Neptune, that managed to win her affection. Jaune was devastated at this fact at first, but after meeting and talking to the guy the night of the dance he realized that maybe he wasn't too bad of a dude. Thus Jaune gave up his quest for the icy girl, content to let another try in his stead. However The Ice Queen, as other so often put it, was but just one of the pair of incredible women he met that day. The other was his faithful partner and team member Pyrrha Nikos.
A small smile curled on Jaune's lips as he recalled the affair. I must have sounded like a complete idiot. I can't believe I tried hitting on her and crap seconds after I met her. To be fair there's no way I could have known who she was, cereal promotions be damned. Pyrrha Nikos, what does this name mean to Jaune? She's his partner sure, but surely there must be more. She's strong, incredibly so, and breathtakingly beautiful; her emerald eyes especially. The glint of her dual gems was a sight to behold, the pools of green are vivid no doubt. She's kind as well, compassionate but never overbearing, she cares for her friends deeply this Jaune knew. And I took that concern and tossed it out the window a few minutes ago didn't I? Damn that was a dick move. But I mean she'll get over it right? Couldn't have been that bad, I mean it's not like I'm her lover and I just scorned her feelings or anything.
A small sigh escaped from his mouth. A lover huh? I wonder if Pyrrha has a guy she likes. Sure she didn't get asked to the dance by anyone but surely even she can have a crush right? Jaune thought about this for a minute, replaying their encounters in his mind. Maybe he could piece something together through what they've said to each other. "That's what I like about you: when we met, you didn't even know my name; you treated me like anyone else." The quote roused a little something in him for a second. "I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with-someone who just saw me for me."
The kind of guy you wished had been there with you huh? Jaune's heart began to beat a little faster as he played with the idea. Pyrrha and I, could that be a thing? Would it be a thing? Should it? There's no way someone like her could see anything in someone like me. Besides we're teammates, if anything like that were to happen and it went south there's no way our relationship would ever recover and that would end up hurting our performance. I can't think of her that way, I shouldn't, not as her leader, not as her partner for the next 4 years. But it would be nice I gotta admit, actually it'd be really damn awesome.
"Jaune are you ready to head back? You've been over here for a while now, is everything alright?"
He lost track of time and his thoughts. Jaune rose and began to look Pyrrha over; she was gorgeous no doubt, and had curves in all the right places. Her hair was a fiery crimson that contrasted greatly with the milky white of her unblemished skin. Couple that with the striking emeralds that adorned her face and you had a woman worthy of the term Goddess; what a woman indeed. And I played at the thought of us being a thing? No way in hell.
"Jaune?"
He was knocked out of his trance. His partner's face had a small tint of red on her cheeks. Jaune hadn't realized how long he'd been staring at her, almost hungrily. He quickly turned away, trying to hide the blush now rising on his own face. He quickly put his remaining things into the locker and turned to face her.
"Sorry about that Pyr, lost in my thoughts for a bit ya know? How about you, all set?" He smiled as wide as he could, hoping to dispel the slight awkwardness between them.
Pyrrha let loose a soft giggle. "I'm fine, it is getting late though. I expect Ren and Nora are already asleep." She gestured for the two of them to exit the room. As they exited the area and made their way back to their room, Jaune couldn't help but notice the small sway of her hips as she walked. It entranced him.
"You know Jaune I was thinking, since you've been having trouble lately with Aura, how about I show you some of the techniques they taught me back in Mistral? They're quite different from the ones taught in Vale, but I think you'll be able to manage. What do you say?" This is what Jaune liked about Pyrrha above almost everything else. She believed in him and unlike others who just left him alone when asked, Pyrrha pressed her thoughts and ideas on him. She wouldn't give up on him or let him alone even if he asked, at least not for long, and for this Jaune was grateful.
"Sure Pyr, that sounds pretty good. I'll put my all into this one, I won't let you down promise." Confident in his future prospects Jaune smiled, his eyes then widened in awe of the captivating smile on Pyrrha's face. She looked happier than ever before. This is what I like the most about her though, her smiling face.
"Alright I'll hold you to that." The girl beamed as she turned away and walked a bit faster in the direction of the dorms. "How about a small race?" Now that was something Jaune could get behind.
"You sure? I did grow up with seven sister's ya know? They drove me ragged all over the place. I've built up quite the stamina by now. You ready for that Pyr?" Jaune puffed up his chest. Stamina was one thing, but could he match the speed of The Pyrrha Nikos. Probably not.
"Jaune, I am the Goddess of Victory." A sly smile danced upon her lips. Pyrrha wasn't the type to gloat, but there was a small fire in her eyes.
"Then lets test that shall we? I'll toss a coin, when it lands let loose."
"Fine by me." There was a real fire in her eyes now.
Jaune reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold coin, a woman with a spear on its obverse and a large shield with two arches on its reverse. Jaune tossed the coin into the air, readied his stance and watched it closely. It reached the apex of its flight and began to fall. Halfway to the ground Jaune began to count its descent. Best get ready Pyr. Five...four...three...two...what the fuck? To Jaune's surprise the coin stopped midair, refusing to fall to the ground. Confused, Jaune turned to Pyrrha but the girl simply had a devilish smile plastered on her face. "Pyrrha, you see that…" *clink* The sound cut him off, leaving him unable to finish his sentence. The sound of the coin hitting the ground echoed in his ears. Before he could react Pyrrha dashed forward with monstrous speed.
Did she not see that? The coin was floating in midair for crying out loud. Maybe I'm just tired...oh fuck the race! With that Jaune bolted from his position. The redhead was still in view, she was fast, but Jaune was confident he could catch up, maybe. What was that thing we tried the other day? Aura infusion with your legs to increase speed. I'm not too sure I'll catch up at this rate so let's give it a shot. As he ran Jaune tried to focus and summon his Aura to him. He began to glow a faint white. We're getting there alright. Concentrating on his legs he began to pick up speed. The glow intensified around his legs, now almost a blinding white. With that he was quickly closing in on his partner. Now this is what I'm talking about.
As Jaune looked up from his legs he noticed his partner had her head turned in his direction. A wide smile covered her face, her eyes wide discs. He had finally done it. Weeks of training and he had finally managed to use his Aura as more than just a shield, and Pyrrha couldn't be happier.
"I knew you could do it if you tried!" The girl yelled from in front of him, ecstatic at his achievement. Though for all the spartan's awareness she was perhaps a bit too distracted to notice the wet floor sign in front of her, accompanied by a pool of water.
"Pyrrha look out!" Jaune cried out but a second too late. Pyrrha slipped on the puddle and came crashing down. Damn, I hope she's okay. Wait how do I slow down? Though Jaune had managed to manifest his Aura, he was in no way capable of controlling it at will just yet. Likewise he too ran over the puddle and came crashing to the ground. He thrust his hands out in front of him, closed his eyes, and braced for impact. He just managed to catch himself before he landed on a disoriented Pyrrha. As he opened his eyes he came face to face with a sea of green staring back at him.
Whoa, I'm not sure what happened, but I'm not complaining with this beautiful sight in front of me. Wait no, toss out the thoughts Arc. Still Jaune couldn't help but stare back at his partner's luminescent eyes. It was then he realized he was on top of her, arms outstretched just enough to avoid a collision. Her face was close to his own, dangerously so.
"J-Jaune? Are you alright?" She asked. Her breath collided with his face. It was warm and had a sweet smell. Jaune felt his heartbeat rise.
"I should be asking you that Pyrrha...uhh...are you okay?" He couldn't hide the redness creeping upon his face.
"I'm fine Jaune, just a slip is all...you managed to use your Aura though! Ha-ha...ha..." Pyrrha's face was now a shade of red not unlike like that of her hair. Her heart rate increased and her she slowed her breathing until it became a bit strained. With their faces so close she didn't want to discomfort him.
Jaune on the other hand was frozen, focused on something else entirely. She smells good. Did Pyrrha always smell this good? Alright this is too stimulating, I mean I don't mind but Pyrrha sure as hell does. Hell her breathing is irregular. With that Jaune slowly raised himself and offered his hand to help his partner, taking one last quick whiff of her scent. "Sorry Pyr, I…uh…Should have said something sooner."
"Its fine Jaune, I don't mind. What's important is that you managed to take control of your Aura! Even if it was only for a little bit." His partner held a wide grin, obviously pleased at the outcome of the race.
"Yeah I guess I did. It felt good, the speed was incredible. But uh slowing down was a different challenge altogether." The blond scratched the back of his head. He felt content and already wanted to try again.
Pyrrha let a small giggle escape her lips. "You'll get more control with time I'm sure. Those Mistral techniques I mentioned should come in handy." She jumped with joy, excited at the prospect of Aura training with actual results this time. "But now we really should be getting back, and uh…no more races." A small blush formed across her face.
Jaune noticed this and quickly turned to face back to the direction of the dorms once more. "Yeah, none of that. And um Pyrrha...thanks for all your help." The redhead smiled and nodded her head in appreciation. The pair then made their way to their room. Chatting about Jaune's various sisters and stamina training along the way.
The next morning started out hectic enough. Jaune was rushing around the room, making sure they had packed everything they needed. Nora was jumping repeatedly on her bed and yelling something about not wanting to miss breakfast at an overwhelmed Ren as the poor boy tried his hardest to calm her down. Pyrrha was calm and collected as always, she simply sat at her desk already clothed in her armor watching the scene unfold. As Jaune finally reached the end of his checklist he looked at his team. The three stared back and, after a few moments, nodded their heads in unison. Jaune looked down at his scroll and searched for the message he had received moments before.
Alert! Important transmission as follows: Re-assignment: Investigate recent reports of suspicious activity in the nearby village of Pearl. While reports indicate there is not an apparent threat of Grimm, Hunters and Huntresses are to remain vigilant and keep weapons at the ready. An airship has already been prepared. Your team is to gather themselves and report for sendoff at 0700. Enclosed is a file with further instructions, be sure to examine the file once aboard the airship. Best of luck to you and your team, good hunting.
The village of Pearl. Jaune didn't know much about it save for the fact it held some sort of connection to Ren and Nora. Nora didn't seem too concerned with the village, instead she was excited at the prospect of hunting and killing Grimm, or fighting in general, if possible. Ren on the other hand was slightly more agitated at the news of the location of the mission. They had been called to visit the village before on a previous assignment, but were cut short as the city came under attack by Grimm. Jaune clearly remembered his teammate's, for lack of a better term, eagerness to visit Pearl. What resided there remained a mystery, but whatever it was held importance to this normally tranquil young man.
With everything prepared Team JNPR headed out into the courtyard to board the ship and begin their mission. It had been a while since the last one but the team was ready for the challenge. Jaune pulled Ren aside as he motioned for the two girls to enter the ship.
"Ren, looks like we finally get to visit the village after all. I don't know the details about your relationship to it but, I'll help in any way I can once we're there alright?" Ren nodded his appreciation and then proceeded to board the ship as Jaune followed after him. Nora was already seated and gesturing vividly to her closest friend to sit beside her. Her excitement could easily be seen as the restraints of the chair hardly held her back. Jaune himself sat beside Pyrrha but his attention was still focused on his stoic teammate. Don't worry buddy, we're here for you, all of us. Still, Jaune couldn't help but shake the feeling that had entered his mind. What was so important about the village that caused Ren to be apprehensive? What would they find there? A hand rested on Jaune's shoulder as he turned to face his smiling partner.
"Everything alright?"
She's as vigilant as ever I suppose. Whatever we find, can't be too difficult to deal with if we have Pyrrha with us.
"I'm fine thanks, still kinda annoyed I didn't get much sleep though." Pyrrha merely laughed in response. Jaune couldn't help but feel at ease with his partner laughing beside him. He'd need that in the coming hours if he was to make it through the flight in one piece. Damn airships, damn motion sickness. He turned one last time to look towards Beacon as the bulkhead closed, and then they were off.